Letter: Cumberland needs Route 88 project

The Cumberland Taxpayers Association says the town shouldn’t borrow $4.5 million dollars to make repairs to Route 88. They contend undertaking the project will cost another $1,550 per household. Their Web site states that the road “… is no less safe than any other major artery in Cumberland without a sidewalk including Tuttle Road, Greely Road, or Blanchard Road.”

The Fact Sheet put out by the Cumberland Save our Roads Association, a bipartisan, volunteer, town-sanctioned committee formed two years ago to study the situation, claims that if the proposed repairs are done “… property taxes for the average Cumberland resident will increase by approximately $15 above current levels.” The leaflet further states, “Route 88 is in dire need of repair.” In order to determine which claims are more accurate I decided to go for a drive along the stretch of pavement in question.

The truth: Route 88 is a pothole-ridden, poorly drained mess of a road that’s plagued by standing water and crumbling shoulders. It’s unsafe for bikers and pedestrians, and treacherous even under ideal driving conditions. Asserting it doesn’t need repair is disingenuous, and by putting forth such spurious declarations on a Web site badly in need of proofreading the Cumberland Taxpayers Association casts doubt on all of its claims, even those which may have some merit.

After carefully considering the pros and cons of the issue I will be voting yes on March 2, and urge all thoughtful citizens of Cumberland to do the same.